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' E ,A. SHARP. y n ELECTRIC SIGNAL POR RAILWAYS. No. 385,964. Y PatentedJuly 10, 1888.

lll l nimvAnDl A. SHARP, or Roenes PARK, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon- UNITEDSTATES* 'ro WILLIAM B. STERRETT, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIQ SIGNAL FOB-HRAILWAYS.

speen-@Arron forming. part of Lettemratem No. 385,964, dated July 1o,lese.

` Application iiledMarch 30, 1888.

.zo @ZZ whom #may concern:

i Beit known that l., EDWARD A. SHARP, of Rogers Park, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in ElectrielSignals for Railways, ol' which the following is aspeciiication.

This electric signal is made forthe purpose of changing thecircuit-connectionby the action ofthe locomotive-wheels or car-wheels.

upon a train, sothata bell may be rung at a crossing or annunciatoroperated at a signal-A springs-and the box for holding the same, and

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating the manner in which this signalapparatus mayv be ,made use of with a system of signals.

I make use of circuit-closing springsin pairs, and between the same isan insulated conduct- 1ngbar, and said bar is moved by the action 'ofthe passing train so as to break the contact' with one pair of springsand close the circuit through the. other pair of springs, and then tobreak the circuit vbetween theA iirst pair of springs.` Thereby theelectric current is not interrupted,but the current is diverted from onecircuit into another by the passing train. One rail oi" the track isrepresented at E, and the cross-ties are shown at F, and I make use of abox, B, extending from one tie to the other and secured in place by thescrews or spikes 2. This box is preferably of cast-iron, and the uppersurface is protected by a plate or shoe, G, of steel, and this plate andthe upper surface of the box B are inclined in both directions, so thata passing wheel may run up the incline, should such wheel be worn s0that the outer rim thereof is larger than the tread or portion of thewheel resting upon the .rail E.

The box portion containingrthe circuit-con'- nectious comes between onetie and the next, as

svt-rial No. 268,968. (No model.)

indicated in Fig. 1,and this is of a sufficient size for receiving theparts hereinafter described.

Thereis a vertical hole passing through the box B,and into this isreceived the plunger H,

the head 4 of which is larger'than the shank 5, and there is aprojecting pin Vor stud, 6, at

the upper end passing through a hole in the l .shoe or plate G andprojecting above the same a .properflistanca so that when the wheelpasses over the apparatus such plunger' H will be depressed until thetop surface of the stud 6 is level with the top of the shoe G.

The shank 5 of the plunger His preferably screwthreaded,and itpassesdown through the bottom pf the box B into the conical socket C, that isbolted upon tbe under side of the box B', and these bolts may beprovided with holes through the heads for the reception of a wirethreaded through the same to prevent the bolts turning or working looseby the jar to which.

they are exposed. Within this conical socket C is a spring,8,-aroundtheshank 5, and there are jam-nuts 9, against which the upperend of the spring 8 acts to raise the plunger H after it has beendepressed, so as to constantly force the stud 6 above the su rface ofthe shoe G. The circuit-closing springs are in pairs,

ingsupport, 12, and the springs 13 and 14 'being onan insulatingsupport, 15, and the circuitwires are connected to the respectivevsprings by the screw-clamps at I, as repre' sented in Figs. 2 and 4,and these pairs of springs are one over the other, and between them is ametallic bar, O, upon an arm, 18, of insulating material,which arm isAconnected to the stem 5,and held by clamping-nuts 19 and 20, so as to berigidly aiflxed to the plunger H and moved with it. v

In its normal position the bar O inaintainsa closed circuit through Ithesprings 10 and 11; but when the plunger H is depressed such bar O firstcornes into contact with the springs 13 and 14, closing the branch orlooped circuit through said springs 13 and 14 before breaking thecircuit between the springs 10 and 11.

the springs 10 and 1]; being upon an insulat- It is now to be understoodthat the electric circuit upon the libe will not -be interrupted by thepassage of a train and the depression of the plunger H; hence one traindoes not in ALoo' terfere with the signaling by another train, and I amenabled to make use of several cir* cuit-closing devices in one electriccircuit, and thereby I can place the battery in a convenient positionfor working the signalsnpon a line of several miles in length. NVhen theplunger H is elevated Aand the current passes through the springs 1()and 11 and the wires connected with the same,l the electric current isin such a condition that any other signal-box muy be brought into actionby the wheels, and when the plunger H is depressed and the bar broughtinto contact with the springs 13 and M the current through the lineremains unbroken, but the current is divided through the loop or branchto give asignal-such as the ringing ol a bell-at Va crossing or thedisplay of lights or other signals, or the registering of the passage ofthe train or the movement oi' an annunoiator in a sn'itolrhnuse.

The Wires are preferably laid in iron pipes, and they are coated withinsulating material. l', have ahrnvn a portion of one pipe at 26connected with au ion', 257, the latter passesthrough the bottoni ol'the box B, and it is held inv place byjaxn-nnls .23 and 24, so as tomake a water-tightjoint with the box B. in Fig. 5 I have illustrated theelectric circuit connections which may be made use of in a system ofsignals. ln this the passage of the train sets a visuahsignal in therear, and this may remain in position until the advancing trainlinsreached a safe disice and passed over a second cireutclosing on', so toremove the dangervsignaland :indicate safety. These electric signals maybe of any desired charactcr--sneh, for instance, thai'I represented iii'mynpplicatioin fihrial No. 266,942, filed Mai-'oh 12, 1888.

and thiuible 28, and

l claim as iny invention 1. The combination, with the box B, fastoued tothe railway-ties of the plunger H, passing vertically through the box,and having a projecting stud, 6, at the upper end and a shank, 5, at thelower ond, of the spring 8, for raising the plunger, theipairs ofoircuitclosing springs 10 l1 and 13 14, the conducting- 'bar O betweenthe ends of the said springs,and an insulating-arm connecting the bar Owith the plunger, substantially as set forth. l

' 2. The box B, with bevel ends resting upon the crossties and theshectslcel shoe, (l npon the surface of the same, in combination withthe plunger lil, passing vertically through the box and the shoe, andthe conical socket C, attaehled below the box B, the nuisf) and spring8, for raising the plunger, the circuit-closing springs 10 1l and 13 14in pairs, and the conducting'bar 0 between the ends ofsuch springs, andthe arm connecting the same with the plunger, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination, with the box B, plunger H, arm 18, and bar O, of thecironitelosing springs, in pairs and insulated, the bai: O being betweenthe moving ends of such springs, and the pipe 26 and thimble 28 passingthrough the bottom of the box B, and thejamnuts for holding thethimblefirmly to the box, andthe conductors passing through such thimole andpipe, substantially as set forth.

Signed by nie this 16th day of March, 1388.

EDXVARD A. SlIAlLL.

ii/'iin csscs:

ARTHUR. X. l1'.ir.r.srnoir,

C. Sinin?.

